“Everyone clear the way! The princess is coming through!”
I followed Rubelin, who marched ahead confidently, while stealing glances at Calix, who was playing the role of ‘the youngest dwarf’ according to the scenario. Calix followed us expressionlessly. I had thought this before, but I should have worn the dwarf costume instead. With the way I was feeling, even hearing the word ‘Snow’ from ‘Snow White’ was enough to scare me. Suddenly, Rubelin turned around and placed her hands on her hips. She pointed a finger at Calix with a seemingly angry expression.
“Hey there! Don’t you see the princess is walking on her own two feet! Pick her up now!”
I was shocked by Rubelin’s command.
“Ru, Rubelin, what are you talking about!”
“The princess should stay still!”
Rubelin firmly told me and then sharply turned to look at Calix. Calix and she exchanged a look for a moment. When Rubelin did not back down, Calix, as if having no choice, quickly picked me up.
“Eek!”
Startled, I grabbed Calix’s shoulders. This was the second time he had held me, but being held in a delirious state due to a cold and being held while fully conscious were vastly different.
“Your, Your Majesty, you don’t have to do this…”
“Stay still, princess.”
As I struggled, Calix, looking straight ahead and expressionless, spoke. The way he called me ‘princess’ made it clear he was teasing. I buried my face in my hands, blushing up to my ears. Oh, Lord, this day is too long.
“Yes! Carry the princess and chirp with me!”
Rubelin led the way with the only satisfied smile among us. Through my fingers, I could see the servants looking at us in surprise and then quickly diverting their gaze.
“Your Majesty, please, put me down…”
Unable to bear their gazes and struggling again, Calix pulled me close to his body.
“Why are you embarrassed? Isn’t this the role-playing you wanted?”
“Well, yes, but it should be Rubelin in Your Majesty’s arms, not me…”
Suddenly, he stopped abruptly. He looked down at me expressionlessly for a while.
“…”
Calix hesitated as if he wanted to say something, then began to speak.
“I’ll assume the role of an uncle as you wish.”
Calix paused for a moment. He spoke again when his brow slightly furrowed.
“No, I’ll try being a father, so just stay still.”
“Your Majesty…”
“I’m not exactly sure what I need to do.”
Calix murmured to himself and then started walking again. I lowered my hands from covering my face and looked up at him, unable to hide the slight smile spreading across my lips. Now… Calix, who after our agreement had avoided showing his face in the training room, had just declared himself willing to play the role of a father? But he said he didn’t know what to do… Maybe the reason he seemed uninterested when I asked him to be a kind father was because he was ignorant about ‘fathers’ or ‘happy families.’ Certainly, what he had received from the Emperor was not affection but neglect and abuse. Even I had boldly suggested portraying a harmonious family, but being ignorant of what ‘family’ actually meant, how much more so for Calix. Suddenly, Calix clicked his tongue briefly as he watched Rubelin running ahead.
“She’s going to fall over soon.”
I chuckled at his genuinely concerned remark. Maybe Calix is not as emotionally barren as I thought.
“Ah, a mirror!”
At that moment, Rubelin, who was leading, spotted a large mirror hanging on the corridor wall and turned back. She placed her hands on the mirror and stared intently at her own reflection. Why is she acting like this all of a sudden?
“Your Majesty, one moment.”
I gently pushed Calix’s shoulder. As soon as he gently set me down, I rushed over to her.
“Rubelin, what’s wrong?”
“Princess.”
Rubelin, staring at her reflection in the mirror, started to sob.
“Uh…”
Eventually, she began to shed tears. Did she do something that contradicts the Snow White universe?
“Ru, Rubelin, why are you crying?”
“Sniff!”
Rubelin took a deep breath through her nose and turned to look at me, trembling.
“Pr, Princess. Why am I a dwarf…?”
“What?”
A tear rolled down her reddened eyes.
“What if I don’t grow taller? How can I protect the princess if I’m this small…”
Oh, my goodness! I quickly covered my mouth with my hand. I almost laughed out loud because she was too adorable. I couldn’t laugh in front of a disheartened Rubelin, so I bit my lip hard and hugged her.
“Rubelin, don’t worry. You’ll grow taller soon.”
“Really…?”
“Of course! Naturally.”
“You’re not a dwarf.” Those words almost escaped my lips, but I managed to hold them back. Rubelin, having stopped crying, sniffed her nose. She bravely wiped her eyes with her sleeve and cracked a smile.
“Yes! I will believe what the princess says! I’m not lonely anymore because I have the princess with me now!”
“Then, from now on, I will be by Rubelin’s side.”
As I hugged her tightly, suddenly a large hand appeared and tousled Rubelin’s hair. I looked up to see Calix.
“Your Majesty?”
It was the first time Calix had reached out to Rubelin. It seemed he was trying to keep his promise.
“…”
Rubelin looked up at Calix with a dazed expression. They exchanged glances for a while.
* * *
Could it be… Could this be the start of them opening their hearts to each other? Just as my heart was about to swell with hope. Thwack! Rubelin sharply slapped away Calix’s hand.
“How dare you, the youngest, put your hand on my head! How presumptuous!”
“…”
Calix stared at his rejected hand. His eyes became a bit vacant. This isn’t right. I quickly tried to mediate the situation.
“Your Majesty, Rubelin is acting as a dwarf right now! Surely, once she comes to her senses, she would appreciate having her head patted-“
“It’s fine.”
Calix abruptly turned around and walked away. I blankly watched as he moved down the corridor.
‘What to do. He seems upset…’
It was the first time Calix seemed so trivial.
* * *
“Rubelin, do you really not remember anything from yesterday?”
“Yes!”
Unlike me, who looked somewhat haggard, Rubelin nodded with a refreshed face.
“I see, that’s good.”
I forced a dry smile. This was because Calix had missed classes for two days following the incident with the youngest dwarf. I had gone to his office yesterday to report on the class, but surprisingly, Calix was not there. I had thought that once things settled down, he would come in for an investigation regarding the use of black magic, but he hadn’t said a word. Surely Rubelin slapping his hand was the cause. What an adult to get upset over something like this. There’s nothing I can do about it. Maybe today I should visit the office with Rubelin.
“Whoa!”
Suddenly a strong force tugged at my clothes, tipping my upper body forward. I then snapped out of my thoughts.
“Look, I’m finished.”
Rubelin handed me a crumpled red paper. It had been something resembling a heart before I looked away, but it had become irreversibly damaged in the meantime. Rubelin’s shoulders slumped.
“Am I a fool or what…”
“That’s not true, Rubelin.”
Hmm. I rolled my eyes in thought, then smiled slyly.
“Look over there for a moment.”
I pointed to a corner to distract Rubelin’s attention. Meanwhile, I quickly swapped the crumpled heart with one I had previously folded under the table. When Rubelin turned her head back, I was holding a perfect heart-shaped paper in my hand.
“Ta-da. Look, what Rubelin made has transformed.”
“…”
Contrary to expectations that she would be pleased, Rubelin looked expressionless with a blank stare. She fumbled under the table and pulled out the crumpled heart I had hidden. She let out a shallow sigh.
“Huh. I’m not a child. I’m perceptive enough to notice that.”
Sorry, Rubelin just shook her head as if she couldn’t be helped. Sorry, really. Ding-dong! The clock struck 11:55.
“Your Highness!”
As if waiting for this moment, the classroom door opened and Mebern appeared, his arms stacked high with documents.
“Your Highness! It’s time for my class! Let’s start with a light meal and discuss lunch etiquette and the attitude during conferences—ugh!”
Mebern tripped over nothing and fell. The mountain of documents he carried tumbled down.
“Oh no! The documents I organized yesterday!”
Mebern scrambled to pick up the papers. Rinell, who was standing by, helped him as if used to this situation. Seeing my chance, I stood up with the crumpled heart paper that Rubelin had made. Even if it lacked artistic quality, it was more meaningful to bring something Rubelin had made.
“Mebern, could you spare some time while you organize those documents? I plan to take Rubelin with me when I report to His Majesty.”
“Not possi…!”
Mebern started to object but paused as he glanced at the scattered documents at his feet. He groaned in pain.
“Alright. But please hurry back!”
“Yes, I understand.”
I grabbed Rubelin’s hand.
“Let’s go, Rubelin.”
“I don’t want to…”
Rubelin resisted, tensing her legs and making a sullen face.
“Why? Isn’t he your uncle? Are you scared of him?”
Rubelin glanced at me hesitantly before mumbling.
“It’s not just that he’s scary…”
“But?”
“He doesn’t like me. So I don’t like him either.”
“Rubelin…”
“I actually don’t like attending classes either, but I go because you like it…”
Rubelin murmured quietly and pouted her lips.
“I see. But Rubelin. He actually likes you very much.”
Rubelin shook her head vigorously.
“No! He doesn’t like me. He really doesn’t like me.”
“Hmm.”
I rolled my eyes in the air, wondering how to clear up the misunderstanding. A flash of an idea struck me, and I looked her in the eye.
“Did you know that His Majesty is keeping the crumpled—no, the beautiful frog that Rubelin made?”
“Really?”
Rubelin looked at me with a skeptical expression, her eyes widening.
“It’s true. Just like Rubelin treasures the yellow frog and the blue belly that mom made for you in your drawer? His Majesty does the same. Shall we go check it out now?”
“If you want to go…”
She answered demurely but didn’t seem to dislike the idea.
“Let’s do that.”
Ah, how sweet. I bent down to nuzzle my nose against Rubelin’s, smiling as I did. She responded by scrunching her nose and smiling back.
“Shall we go then?”
“Yes!”
I took Rubelin’s hand and we left the classroom. After walking down the long corridor for about five minutes, we reached Calix’s office. I greeted the familiar guards.
“Have you come, Lady Lucina?”
“Yes, is he inside?”
“Ah…”
The guards exchanged awkward glances.
“Why?”
“His Majesty is out today.”
He’s out again? He should know I come around this time for the report.
“His Majesty has been away all day.”
Confused, I looked at Rubelin.
“Rubelin, shall we go back to the classroom?”
“Yes!”
Rubelin nodded vigorously and took the lead, pulling my hand. As I watched her round head and laughed, a yellow butterfly entered the palace corridor from somewhere. A butterfly? I stopped walking and tapped Rubelin’s shoulder, then pointed in the direction of the butterfly.
“Rubelin, look there. A butterfly.”
Rubelin paused to look at the butterfly, and soon her eyes sparkled.
“A butterfly!”
Given that she hardly ever went out for a walk, the butterfly must have been a novelty.
“Butterfly!”
As the butterfly turned a corner and disappeared, Rubelin let go of my hand and ran after it.
“No, Rubelin!”
I hurriedly rounded the corner, but all I saw was an empty corridor bathed in sunlight between the columns. Oh dear, we need to get back to the classroom before Mebern gets angry.
“Rubelin. Where are you? Rubelin!”
As I searched the corridor for Rubelin, I spotted Yukar hurrying somewhere.
—————————————————————
Translator Note:
This chapter was translated by Bree.
If you like my work please support us in Patreon. Next post will be released on June, 14.
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